Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has claimed impeachment distracted the federal government from the Coronavirus. The Kentucky Republican suggested the impeachment trial made dealing with the global pandemic more difficult.
McConnell spoke to conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt on Tuesday and took the opportunity to link impeachment to the pandemic.
Hewitt praised Republican Senator Tom Cotton for apparently realizing Coronavirus was a problem earlier than others.
“Let me talk to you a little bit about Senator Cotton,” Hewitt said.
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“In your experience in the Senate, was Senator Cotton the first one to say hey, Leader, hey Mitch, this is a deadly situation that I do not trust to the Chinese? Was he first?”
“He was first, and I think Tom was right on the mark,” McConnell said.
“And it came up while we were tied down on the impeachment trial,” he said.
“And I think it diverted the attention of the government, because everything every day was all about impeachment. But Tom figured this out early, and he was absolutely right.”
McConnell’s claim is controversial, however. MSNBC analyst David Corn was quick to note that President Donald Trump went golfing toward the beginning of the outbreak. Others have made similar criticisms.
Though McConnell praised Senator Cotton, he has claimed China ‘inflicted’ the virus on the world and that the country will face a ‘reckoning.’
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Darragh Roche is a journalist covering U.S. politics and media
